KR930003419B1 - Printing apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

Printing device and method

1 is a system diagram illustrating a general operating situation for the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2 (a), 2 (b) and 2 (c) illustrate the progress stages used to determine the grid configuration according to the operation of the preferred embodiment.

3 is a logic flow diagram illustrating the overall operation of the preferred embodiment.

4 is a general flow diagram illustrating the steps for determining a page configuration in a preferred embodiment.

5 is a block diagram illustrating in more detail the pit-grid procedure block of FIG.

6 (a) and 6 (b) are flow charts illustrating the pit-page procedure block of FIG. 4 when the page is placed on another page.

7 (a) to 7 (p) illustrate various page sequences for portrait and landscape orientations on a paper sheet according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

10: computer system 12: printer

14: interpreter 16: printer engine

18: arbitration network 20: application program

22: printer data storage unit 24: command receptor

26: Job Controller 28: Print Symbiont

30: Device Control Library 32: Translator

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention generally relates to the field of printer control, and more particularly, to a printer control apparatus and method for causing a plurality of pages to be printed on paper.

Prior to the introduction of laser printers, computer generated printing document files were relatively simple using contact printing technology. Such a contact printer relies on a character set having a fixed number of characters. Conventional dot matrix or contact printers provide output information at a low speed, thus eliminating the need for high speed communication with the printer.

High speed laser printers print photographic images by a raster scanning method using a high resolution printing technique known for bit mapping. In this case, the bitmap for the graphic image is composed of a two-dimensional data array known as a pixel or pixel constituting the image. In order to print an image, the print engine of the laser printer must receive a large amount of data corresponding to the bitmap for each generated image.

However, laser printing exhibits the following serious drawbacks as in the conventional low speed printing method of outputting print information. That is, a program that outputs a document or file to be printed usually generates all the information of the print engine used to print an image. This requires a large amount of data generation to transfer all the pixels as bitmaps to the picture. The large amount of information in transit consumes a large portion of the resources of a small computer system and also requires a high performance communication link between the computer and the terminal. This feature of the laser printer results in insufficient use of the potential output capacity of the laser printer.

Conventional page description language eliminates the problem of generating output images for laser printers and prevents overloading of communication systems utilizing computer systems and laser printers. The page description language allows a computer system to represent an information image of one page within a minimum amount of storage space.

Examples of applications that generate page descriptions include word processors, illuminators, and computer-aided design systems. Such applications generate executable programs that make up commands in the page description language to be sent to the printer, as opposed to generating an output that makes up a complete bitmap of the image to be printed. The instructions are executed in a printer that generates a page image.

Executable programs written in the page description language are composed of other bitmap information that is interpreted by the printer to generate raster scans but is available by the print engine to generate commands or images. For example, if you want to print a piece of text on a page, an application program causes the commands to be generated in a page description language that specifies character shapes (ie fonts), size, position, and individual character designations. Laser printers use these text parameters to generate raster scanned images of specific text.

When graphic information is printed, rather than specifying each individual pixel to be generated by an application laser printer, each image boundary is specified in the page description language and how the boundaries are filled in.

언어와 제록스사에 의해 규정된 인터프레스(Interpress)를 포함한다.Several page description languages are commonly used, which are postscripts defined by Adobe Systems Inc.

Language and Interpress as defined by Xerox.

The basic advantage of the page description language is that small systems running applications can eliminate impractical pixel arrays that are difficult to manipulate or manufacture.

Moreover, since pixel arrays are usually generated in special printer devices, they are highly dependent on the devices. The practical use of such a page description language allows an application to provide output to various laser printers without modifying the data format provided as output. Such applications firmly generate the same page description program regardless of the printer included in the computer system.

Laser printers equipped to make the page description language practical include an interpreter and a print engine. This interpreter is software that receives the page description language generated by the application and also reduces the high level page description language to a low level raster data format that can be used as input by a special print engine. These interpreters are designed to translate any program written in the page description language into output data that can be processed by a print engine or output device.

Desktop publishing is also configured to produce high quality documents with a tangible appearance utilizing small computer systems. In desktop publishing, printing is performed by laser printers rather than conventional office printers that generate images through contact printing. Desktop systems are an example of applications that benefit from the page description language. In desktop publishing, text materials and graphics can be combined into the same document for the same page. However, once each page is formed, most desktop publishing systems eliminate the need for modification by printing the pages in a transformed format with a different document style. For example, if a document is formatted to print one page on paper, there is no facility to change to a system that usually preserves paper and allows two pages to be printed on one paper to aid binding. I never do that.

Desktop publishing systems, such as page markers by Aldus Corporation, allow users to configure paper to be printed with more than one page on the paper. However, this formatting must be done while the document is being created. If the document is formatted in this way, the output format does not change at all.

In the prior art, there is a simple program written in the page description language that allows a user to print more than one page on a single sheet without changing the entire document. These programs allow the user to print a certain number of pages on a single sheet of paper. This ability to print multiple pages on a single sheet of paper is referred to as a "number-up" page. In general, a page description program that provides "number-up" capability provides only the choice of printing a combination of 2, 4 or 8 pages on a sheet of paper. In addition, such a program is less flexible for applying the program to a randomly selected page and paper size.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that allows a user to print a desired combination of pages on a sheet of paper, and an object of the present invention is to provide such a method and apparatus.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, and will also be understood by the embodiments of the present invention. The objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized and attained by means of the instruments and combinations thereof in particular as set forth in the appended claims.

In order to achieve the objects of the present invention, there is provided a method for printing on a single sheet a predetermined number of pages indicated by a page description that specifies the configuration of the page on which each page is to be printed, as embodied and broadly described. This method comprises the steps of calculating areas on the paper useful for printing; Selecting the same number of test pages as the predetermined number of pages; Determining a plurality of grid configurations, each forming a given number of grid regions for printing pages, the given number of grid regions having a value equal to the number of tests of the page; Calculating a reference factor to establish a size of a page to be printed from one of the page descriptions as an area size of one of the grid areas in each grid configuration of the plurality of grid configurations; Determining a grid configuration with the largest reference factor; Calculating a percentage surface area of the paper occupied by a plurality of grid areas, such as the number of tests of the page, using the grid configuration with the largest reference factor; Incrementing the number of tests on the page; Comparing the percentage surface area with a predetermined percentage; Determining a plurality of grid configurations, determining a grid configuration with the largest reference factor, calculating a percentage surface area, and comparing the percentage surface area occupied by a predetermined percentage; (The incremental and repeating steps are adjusted on a percentage surface area having a value less than a predetermined percentage); Printing a predetermined number of pages on the paper using the largest standardization factor according to the percentage surface area having a value greater than or equal to the predetermined percentage.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for printing a plurality of pages on a single sheet in order to achieve the object of the present invention as embodied and broadly described, which apparatus comprises a page description format. Means for generating with; Means for sending a print request; Means for printing a page on paper in accordance with a print request, and means for scheduling a sent print request; Means for storing a page in response to said generating means; Determine a number of grid configurations, each forming a plurality of grid regions for printing pages, and determine the size of the page to be printed from one of the page technologies, the size of one of the grid regions and the size of each of the plurality of grid configurations. Means for calculating a reference factor to fit and determining one of a plurality of grid configurations having a percentage occupancy of the paper surface area that is greater than a predetermined percentage; Means for generating instructions for printing a plurality of pages into a corresponding grid area of a grid configuration having a percentage share of a paper surface area that is greater than a predetermined percentage; And printing means comprising means for interpreting a command and means for printing a plurality of pages on a single sheet in response to said interpreting means.

The accompanying drawings, which form a part of the present specification, illustrate one embodiment of the present invention, and serve to explain the principles of the present invention together with the specification. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. I will explain in more detail.

In the drawings, like numerals refer to like elements. 1 illustrates a general operating situation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Computer system 10 is coupled to a printer 12 consisting of an interpreter 14 and a print engine 16. The link between computer system 10 and printer 12 is via an arbitration network 18 shared with a similar computer system.

The present invention includes means for generating pages in a page description format. In the preferred embodiment, the page generating means comprises an application program 20, a print data file 22, a print request receptor 24, a job controller 26, a print symbol 28, a device control library 30 And a computer system 10 including a translator 32.

Application 20 creates a data file to be printed consisting of one or more pages. In a preferred embodiment, it is possible to configure the output of a conventional output format, such as an ANSI file, ReGIS graphics, or a graphics terminal, such as a Tektronix-type 4010/4014 device. In order to make efficient use of the capabilities of the printer 12, the application program 20 should output the data files in a well known page description language. In the preferred embodiment, no translation is necessary since the page description language output by the application program 20 is the same page description language used by the printer 12.

The page description language creates a page description that is transformed into a bitmap graphic picture when received by the printer. Page descriptions are executable programs written in the page description language used. When page descriptions are executed, bitmap graphics provided to the print engine are generated in a form suitable for printing on paper. The interpreter 14 executes the page description supplied to the printer 12. The print engine 16 is preferably a raster scanning laser printer. Therefore, the output of interpreter 14 is generated in a raster scan format.

The print request receptor 24 may be configured as a terminal or other interrupt device for sending the print request to the job controller 26. The print request receptor 24 sends the print request to the job controller 26. The user may enter a print request at the terminal or an interrupt may be automatically entered through the application 20 having the print request. Such a print request consists of a command to print a specified file with parameters that control the characteristics of the printing process and also act as variables for storing information in the preferred embodiment.

The job controller 26 schedules and processes print requests for the print symbol 26. Print symbian 26 is a component of computer system 10 that serves to coordinate device control modules for transmission to print files, translators, and printers 12. In a preferred embodiment, the print symbian sends a print file recorded in a page description language such as PostScript from Adobe Systems. These files should consist of page descriptions recorded in the page description language used by the printer 12.

랭귀지 레퍼런스 매뉴얼 및 1986년도에 저작권 보호된 아도브 시스템사의 포스트 스크립트

랭귀지 앤드 투토리얼 및 쿠크북은 양호한 실시예에서 사용되는 페이지 기술언어의 보다 나은 이해를 위해 여기서 참조된다.Postscript copyrighted by Adobe Systems in 1986

Language reference manual and postscript copyrighted by Adobe Systems in 1986

Language and tutorials and cookbooks are referred to herein for a better understanding of the page description language used in the preferred embodiments.

When the file to be printed is stored in the print data file 22 in a format different from the page description written in the page description language, an appropriate translator module is downloaded from the translation storage 32 to the print symbian 28. The print sympath 28 then causes the translation module to be sent to the interpreter 14 to translate the print data file into a page description in the page description language.

When the interpreter 14 translates the data files into a series of page descriptions written in the page description language, the print sympath 28 performs the function designated as the print request sent by the print request receptor 24. That is, since the print sympath 28 prepares the print file and the device control module to be sent to the printer 12, the output designated by the print request is generated by the printer 12. For example, a print request requires a certain size of paper on which pages should be printed. If it is desired to perform the function specified by the print request, the print sympath 28 downloads the modules from the device control library 30 and sends them to the interpreter 14. The modules contain the necessary instructions for the printer 12 to select the paper size.

The user issues a print request including a command to print a plurality of pages stored in the print data file 22 on a single paper sheet. Normally, only one page is printed on a single sheet of paper generated by output by a printer. The command to print multiple pages is entered in the print request by specifying a parameter called "number-up".

The parameter set in the print request means an output generated by the printer 12. When specifying a "number-up" parameter, the user can include other parameters that modify the processing of the "number-up" parameter. If "number-up" is specified without additional parameters that modify "number-up", the print sympath 28 allows the number of pages specified by the "number-up" on the paper to be dynamically adjusted. A preferred embodiment of the present invention allows a threshold percentage value for paper occupancy to be obtained by a dynamic page fitting algorithm. Additional parameters may be specified such as the ability to change the margin between opposite ends of the paper surface area for continuous paper. This allows for example the user to have room for binding each sheet so that the sheets of paper face each other.

The number of pages to be printed on the sheet is equal to the "number-up" specified by the user unless the user specifies the last page to be printed on the sheet. If the last page or the first page is specified, fewer pages than the parameter "number-up" are printed. In this case, blanks remain on the paper on which the page can be placed. One page is an indivisible image of a document portion. When a document is created, each page tends to print on a separate portion of the paper. A page as used herein refers to the amount of data specified by an application to be printed on a single sheet of paper.

One sheet as defined herein refers to a piece of paper or print surface on which the print engine 16 has printed an image or images. One sheet of paper is one sheet of paper normally output by the printer 12.

In the present invention, the user overrides the default setting of printing a single page on a single sheet of paper, and instead prints a number of existing pages on a single sheet of paper. Typical applications for this feature include printing two pages on a single sheet of paper, which pages oppose the pages from the document. Thus, a document generated by an application program to occupy a given number of sheets equal to the number of pages can be printed on half of the paper by printing two pages on one sheet according to the present invention. This ability does not require any modification of the document.

The invention is not limited to finite combinations of pages per sheet and / or respective sizes of pages and sheets. That is, the present invention only requires the user to specify the number of pages per sheet. In other words, the method and apparatus of the present invention provide a page layout that minimizes only the usable area on the paper and the size of the pages printed on the paper, for example, maximizing the reference factor used to print the page from the data file onto the paper. Specify. The present invention preferably does not change the aspect ratio of the page.

2 (a), 2 (b) and 2 (c) illustrate the advancing stage in the operation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the user specified that the parameter "number-up" be equal to 13 in the print request. Other features in the print request for this example have not been specified at all.

In FIGS. 2 (a), 2 (b), and 2 (c), the sheets 34, 36, and 38 have simple grid configurations 40, 42, and 44, respectively. ). Grid configurations 40, 42, and 44 form grid areas 46 of equal size within grid configurations 40, 42, and 46, but each grid configuration 40 ), 42 and 46 have grid areas of different sizes from other grid configurations 40, 42 and 46. Within each grid area 46, pages are standardized and printed.

The sheet 34 illustrates a situation in which an attempt is made to fit 13 pages onto a single sheet. The grid 40 is formed by the factors 1 and 13 in which only 13 factorizations are made. These factors represent the horizontal and vertical numbers of the grid area 46.

The paper 34 (see also second (a)) has a large amount of unused surface area for printing on pages, for example, and the paper percentage of the surface area occupied is 13.3%. By using the grid configuration 42 formed by the factors 2 and 7 (see also second (b)), the grid configuration 42 prints the pages into the grid area 46 of the grid configuration 42 of the second (b) diagram. It can be done. The reference factor used to reference the pages to fit within the grid area 46 of the grid configuration 42 is equal to 0.168, which is the criterion needed to fit the pages to the grid area in the grid configuration 40 of FIG. 2 (a). Is greater than 0.090. Moreover, a larger percentage of the surface area of the sheet 36 is occupied 49.3% by the grid arrangement 42 than by the grid arrangement 40 of the sheet 34 of FIG. 2 (b).

A larger percentage of paper surface area can be occupied by a grid configuration with dimension 3 × 5, such as with grid configuration 44 on paper 38 (see also second (c)). However, grid configuration 44 uses a larger standardization factor of 0.227 and also occupies 96.6% more paper 38 surface area than grid configuration 42 in FIG. 2 (b).

Therefore, the result of the print request specifying the parameter "number-up" in this embodiment may be the grid configuration 44 printed on the sheet 38. If no other parameter is provided to be specified at all, the default setting for the present invention preferably prints 13 pages in the fifteen grid areas 46 of FIG. 2 (c). In this example, if the user sets the parameter "pages-per-sheet" or "first-page-on-sheet", the parameter "pages per page" Smaller pages corresponding to are printed and more than one grid area is left blanked.

As illustrated by the haze in FIG. 3, the first step according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention calculates an area on the paper useful for printing (step 50). It is desirable to subtract from the total paper area the area occupied by the margin in order to calculate the area useful for printing on the paper. These margins can be set by the user so that one is larger than the other to form punched binding or holes in one end of the paper. In addition, some margin is needed if the manufacturer of the printer 12 does not want the entire paper area to be printed by the print engine 16. The user can also design a wide margin provided to form bindings or holes, which are punched alternating ends between sheets of paper, but this ability does not affect the calculation of areas useful for printing on paper.

Another step involved in creating a paper having a plurality of printed pages includes determining the page composition (step 52). Once the page configuration on the paper is completed (step 52), the pages are sent to the printer 12 (step 54) (step 54). The interpreter 14 then translates the page description into raster scan data for the print engine 16 (step 56).

In the present invention, the print request is provided to the job controller 26 through the print request receptor 24. The job controller 26 schedules the case where the print request is performed by the print symbian 28. The print request includes parameters such as "number-up" or the number of pages to be printed on a single sheet of paper. In addition, the user may designate a particular grid configuration, such as the grid configuration of FIG. 2 (a), FIG. 2 (b), and FIG. 2 (c), for example to print the pages on the paper.

The first decision level in determining the page configuration (step 52) includes determining when the parameter "page grid" is designated as a print request (step 60 illustrated in FIG. 4). If the user has specified a grid configuration, a procedure pit grid is performed as shown in detail in FIG. 5 (step 68). If the user does not provide a grid configuration that defines how the page will be printed on the paper, the procedure fit-page as shown in detail in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) ) Will be performed (step 64).

Before the procedure fit-grid is performed (step 68), it is checked whether the boolean variable "is-porterait" is true or false. The dimension of the page coordinate system, i.e., the X coordinate, is parallel to the small end of the page, the Y coordinate is parallel to the long and short end of the page, and the origin is at the end of the lower left, defining the portrait direction. The Y coordinate of the page is parallel to the small end of the page, the X coordinate is parallel to the long end, and the origin is at the end of the lower left, and the landscape direction is defined. If the page is not printed in the photorate type but printed in the landscape direction, the grid dimension defined by the print request is cut (step 66).

According to the present invention, the basic purpose of the pit-grid procedure is to calculate the reference factor to set the page size printed from one page description to one grid area size in the grid configuration. Preferably, the procedure pit-grid calculates a reference factor for a full size grid configuration in the same direction as the paper.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first step in the procedure pit-grid is to multiply the stored page description page dimensions by the corresponding grid configuration dimensions (step 70). These products coincide with the dimensions of the grid configuration that are considered to be pit-grids with a grid area with a full size page (step 70).

As a result, a determination is made by comparing the grid configuration and the orientation of the available paper area to match. Step 72 consists in comparing the aspect ratio. That is, in a grid configuration with full-size pages, the aspect ratio of length and width is compared with the usable aspect ratio of the paper. If the longest dimension of the grid configuration with full-size pages is parallel to the longest dimension of the paper, ie their lengths are parallel, then the usable area of the grid configuration with full-size pages and the paper is in the same direction. In a grid construct dimension with a page description page dimension, the X coordinate dimension of the result of the multiplication is greater than the product corresponding Y dimension in step 70, and the X coordinate dimension of the usable paper area and the Y coordinate dimension of the available paper area are in the same relationship. If so, then the direction is the same (step 72). If the directions are not the same, i.e., the aspect ratios do not match, the grid direction must be switched so that the existing dimension matches the longest dimension of the usable paper area (step 74). Preferably, when the grid direction is switched to a boolean variable, it should be set to "switched".

After the orientation of the grid configuration with full-size pages and usable paper areas is matched by a comparison of aspect ratios, the reference factor for the corresponding dimension of the referenced pages is calculated in steps 70 and determined in steps 76 and 78. do. If switching in step 70 or step 74 requires a corresponding dimension of the paper area, this is divided into corresponding dimensions of the reference grid configuration. Therefore, the reference factor is calculated for dimensions in the X direction and dimensions in the Y direction.

In steps 76 and 78 the minimum of the X and Y standardization factors is maintained and compared (step 80). This comparison provides the largest available reference factor for pages that fit into the currently specified grid configuration.

The smallest standardization factor indicates the largest possible standardization factor for the specified grid configuration dimension. This standardization factor is maintained as a result of the pit-grid procedure. The use of a standardization factor greater than the minimum standardization factor for one dimension results in a dimension with the smallest standardization factor that falls outside the available area of the paper. That is, when an appropriate reference factor for a page is in the specified grid configuration, the dimension with the smallest reference factor can be referenced beyond that calculated in the pit-grid procedure steps 70-78.

Referring to FIG. 3, if the user specifies the grid configuration, the step of determining the page configuration after the pit-grid procedure is performed (step 52) is completed.

As shown in FIG. 4, if the user does not provide a grid configuration (step 60), a procedure pit-page is performed (step 64).

The procedure pit-page is shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). The procedure pit page is a dynamic page fitting process, which utilizes the procedure pit-grid to determine the reference factor in the pit-page procedure.

According to the present invention, the variable "number-up" is set to indicate the number of pages that the user wants to print on the sheet. In the print request, the user can specify less than the "number-up" number of pages printed on the paper. In other words, the number of pages per sheet can be specified in the print request so that the remaining grid area remains blank until at least " number-up ". Also, in order to leave the previous grid area blank, the parameters in the print request can be set to start printing in the grid area differently than the first time. In a preferred embodiment the parameters for pages per sheet and first printed pages can be operated in a designated grid configuration.

In the preferred embodiment according to the invention the variable "number-up" is used as the test number of pages which matches the predetermined number of pages printed on a sheet of paper. The dynamic page fitting process " number-up " is increased to get a good page pit on the paper, but only the number of pages initially specified is printed.

The first step of the pitpage procedure according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is that each grid configuration has a value corresponding to a test number of pages in which a certain number of grid areas for printing the page. Preferably, pairs of non-negative full number arguments for the test number occupied by the variable “number-up” define a plurality of grid configurations. That is, these pairs of arguments specify the dimensions of the grid configuration, one of which specifies the dimensions of the grid configuration, one of the arguments specifying the number of grid areas with one end of the grid configuration, and the other argument with the adjacent end. Specify the number of grid areas with.

Arguments defining the grid configuration are calculated (step 100), and fit-in according to the present invention for calculating the reference factor to set the size of the page printed from one page description as one grid area size in each grid configuration. Grid procedure is performed. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the calculation of the reference factor requires pit-grid performance for each pair of arguments, so that at the most recent reference factor and the pit-page procedure obtained from the pit-grid The reference factors maintained as the current largest reference factors are compared (steps 104 and 106). The process of performing the pit grid configuration for parameterizing the current test number of the page defined by the parameters continues until the final factorization which becomes the current test number of the page (steps 108 and 109).

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the paper surface area percentage occupied by the number of grid areas corresponding to the number of tests of the paper is calculated in the next step, using the grid configuration having the largest reference factor. Preferably, the grid configuration with the largest reference factor is maintained in steps 102-109 for calculating the percentage of surface area occupied.

According to the present invention, since comparing the face area percentage to a predetermined percentage, the percentage result of the occupied surface area is then used. In a preferred embodiment, the percentage of effective paper area occupied by the grid configuration with the largest reference factor for the current test number of the page should be at least 75% for effective use of the paper surface area (step 112).

The 75% cut is based on experiments determined by testing the optimum fit for different size grids. Certain absolute optimal fits require high speed execution. The lower limit is high speed pit but not good, and the upper limit is better pit but it takes longer to be able to use it.

Thus, under conditions where the face area has a value less than a predetermined percentage, the step of increasing the number of tests on the page and determining the plurality of grid configurations repeats calculating a reference factor, thereby calculating a grid having a large reference factor. By determining the composition, it is performed by calculating the area area percentage and comparing the predetermined percentage to the percentage of occupied edges occupied. In a preferred embodiment, steps 100-114 are passed up to the percentage of valid paper area occupied by the grid configuration with the largest reference factor for the number of current tests stored in the "number-up" being at a predetermined percentage, preferably at least%. Is performed (step 112).

As described above, the user allows the number of pages printed on one sheet of paper to be designated smaller than the number of pages initially specified in the print request. As shown in FIG. 6, the user specifies this feature by setting the parameter "per page-per sheet" to require the number of pages per sheet in the print request (step 120). When such a parameter is not specified in the print request, set the variable "final-page" one less than the parameter "number-up" from the print request (step 122). Since the number of pages matching the parameter "per-page-paper" is printed in the corresponding grid area (one page per grid area), it is defined as the grid configuration with the largest reference factor (step 124). (The variable "last-page" is a zero base variable and is decremented).

Referring to Figures 7 (a) -7 (p), the preferred embodiment has eight different page orders or instructions for each direction (photorate or landscape) that can be specified, each represented by a straight line. It has a first scanning direction and a second scanning direction indicated by a dotted line. Each direction is one of up, down, right or left and is perpendicular to each other.

The page order or command operation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is based on that one of the two scanning directions is horizontal (left or right) and the other is vertical (up or down). The characteristics of the eight different page command outputs are three boolean variables assigned to each variable. If the vertical direction is not up but down, then the first variable ("down-present?") Is true.

If the horizontal direction is light rather than left, then the second variable ("light-present?") Is true. If the first scanning direction is the horizontal direction, then the third variable ("rl-first") is true.

Initially, an integer between 0 and 7 is assigned to each page instruction. By packing the selected integers together into three boolean algebra, one bit represents "down-present?", Two bits represent "light-present?", And four bits represent " Allel-First? " The two character combinations are searched for the strings sent through the procedure set-page-command and used as tables. The spring has eight two character combinations, depending on the branch page command or order, each of which has a value. The value portion of the string following the two character combinations is the value to indicate the page command. This value is read from the positioning and assigned to the variable "page-command-bit" consisting of three boolean algebra.

The paper's coordinate system is a coarse page descriptive language coordinate system for paper, i.e. a coordinate system that requires lay up. The origin is at the lower left end of the paper and the unit is a point (1/72 inch). This coordinate system is used in conjunction with paper, such as paper margins, margin alternatives, and the like. The page coordinate system is actually the coordinate system when the page execution is started. This is in a different direction from the paper coordinate system and will have different units. This coordinate system is implemented in the document and described in relation to the page. The reader's coordinate system is not at all a mathematical coordinate system without origin and unit in that it is used to designate up and down and ground directions, and there is no distance measured. If the material printed on the paper is occupied on the right side as the paper is occupied, the up direction of the reader's coordinate system points up and the right direction points to the right. This coordinate system is described in relation to the user's up and down recognition, such as page commands. When landscape printing is being used, the reader's coordinate system can transform from the page coordinate system.

The direction specified for the page command or order is associated with the reader's coordinate system. In some cases, the coordinates of the reader are rotated 90 ° from the sheet, ie the reader occupies the left end of the sheet at the top. A preferred embodiment of the present invention resides in a paper system, in which in order to properly interpret the designated page order direction, the direction must be translated in relation to the paper coordinate system. If the page is landscape or if the page coordinates are rotated from the paper (if both are true, they are compensated for each other), the paper system will be different from the reader. Whether this condition is maintained (by checking "switched?" And "is-photorate?" From the feet-grid procedure), a table in which a small array converts the current "page-instruction-bit" to the value rotated. Used as This direction is associated with the coordinate system of the paper. Once the proper direction is determined for the page instruction, each bit is masked in turn, and the bits are divided by Boolean algebraic values. When translated for each grid area these values are used.

As described in connection with FIG. 6, the dynamic page fitting process determines the standardization factor to specify the page orientation in the page design and grid configuration on the paper. Thus, it is printed with a value above a predetermined percentage, that is, the percentage of the surface area with a predetermined number of pages on the paper using the largest standardization factor. Preferably, interprinter 14 in printer 12 has a transformation matrix such that the user converts a coordinate system defined in the page description language into a coordinate system that designates print engine 16.

This transformation matrix transforms the page coordinate system into a device or printer coordinate system. Therefore, the page position on the paper can be controlled by replacing the conversion matrix stored in the printer with the conversion matrix designating each page before printing the corresponding page. Therefore, before each page description is sent to the printer, a corresponding page matrix is installed in the printer 12 having the pages to be fitted into the grid area and referenced, translated into the position of the current grid area, and the proper orientation in the grid area. Is rotated to correspond to.

Except for the translation elements that change and position the pages so that each page position corresponds to the corresponding grid area of the grid configuration, the conversion matrix element that specifies each page is used for each page of multiple pages printed on one sheet of paper. Is the same for. The resulting matrix instructs the print engine to print the page image on paper. After the page image is printed, different conversion matrices are provided to indicate successive pages on the same sheet. Preferably, these relocation conversion matrices are arranged in a single array to be installed in the printer 12 according to the page setup instruction for that paper.

The pages are printed on the paper in this manner until the print data file is finished. The symbian 28 then sends the device control library module down from the device control library to the printer 12 that ejects the paper.

To a method and apparatus for printing a predetermined number of pages on a single sheet of paper, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention, such as utilizing a photographic device, an LED printer or an ink jet for the print engine 16. Many modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS 1. A method of printing a predetermined number of pages on a single sheet of paper to be displayed in a page description that designates the configuration of the page to be printed, comprising: calculating an area suitable for printing on the sheet of paper; Selecting a test number of pages equal to the predetermined number of pages; Determining a plurality of grid configurations such that each configuration forms a predetermined number of grid areas for printing pages therein, the predetermined number of grid areas having the same value as the page test number; Calculating a reference factor such that the size of a page to be printed by one of the page descriptions is set as the size of one of the grid areas in each of the plurality of grid configurations; Determining a grid configuration having a maximum reference factor; Calculating a percentage surface area of paper occupied by the same number of grid areas as the number of page tests using the grid configuration having the maximum reference factor; Comparing the percentage surface area with a predetermined percentage; Repeating the step of determining the plurality of grid configurations by incrementing the number of page tests, calculating a reference factor, determining a grid configuration with a maximum standardization factor, calculating a percentage surface area, and occupying a percentage surface occupied Comparing an area with said predetermined percentage, said incrementing and repeating step being adjusted at said percentage surface area having a value less than said predetermined percentage; Printing the predetermined number of pages on the paper using the maximum reference factor in response to the percentage surface area having a value equal to or greater than the predetermined number of percentages. How to print a certain number of pages. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing step comprises the steps of: using a deformation matrix in the printer to transform the page = descriptive coordinate system into a printer dependent coordinate system; Installing a new bottle-shaped matrix in the printer such that all the pages are printed on the paper, each matrix having a configuration corresponding to each page, wherein the configuration fits within the grid area upon printing. Rotating a corresponding page to execute; Standardizing a corresponding page by the maximum reference factor; Replacing the corresponding page with a grid area corresponding to each page position on the paper. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the printing step further comprises the step of converting the clearance position from one edge of any one sheet of paper to an opposite edge of the surface of the sheet of paper. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the suitable surface area comprises deleting a free area from the entire available surface area on the paper. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of grid configurations comprises: factoring the number of tests into a pair of arguments, specifying the number of grid regions on the side of the grid configuration around the number of total (+) arguments. Using the method. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of grid configurations further comprises setting each grid configuration to a grid area having the same area. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein printing the predetermined number of pages comprises printing pages having a number less than or equal to the predetermined number. An apparatus for printing a plurality of pages on a single sheet, comprising: means for producing a page in a page description format; Means for forwarding a print request; Means for producing the page on paper in response to the print request; Means for forwarding a print request; Means for printing the page on paper in response to the print request; Means for planning the sent print request; Means for storing the page in response to the page producing means; Means for determining a plurality of grid configurations, wherein each of the plurality of configuration means forms a plurality of grid areas for printing a page therein, so that each of the plurality of grid configurations is adapted for each grid area in each of the plurality of grid configurations. Means for calculating a reference factor to set the size of a page printed by one, and for determining one of a plurality of grid configurations having the paper surface area percentage share occupied by a predetermined percentage or more; Means for generating a command to print out a plurality of pages in a corresponding grid area for the grid configuration having the paper surface percentage occupancy ratio greater than a predetermined percentage, the printing means comprising means for interrupting the command and the interrupt command. Means for printing the plurality of pages on a single sheet in response to the plurality of pages printing on a single sheet.

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